This guide covers the BAD_POOL_HEADER blue screen (stop code 0x00000019) on Windows 10 and Windows 11. According to Microsoft, it means that a pool header is corrupted: the pool is the memory area shared by the kernel and drivers. By the time of the crash, the memory is already damaged, and the component shown on screen is not necessarily the culprit. In practice, the leads to check are a driver (often recently installed or updated), software that installs its own drivers (third-party antivirus, VPN, monitoring tools) and the RAM, especially if the crashes are irregular.
If your blue screen shows MEMORY_MANAGEMENT, follow the guide MEMORY_MANAGEMENT blue screen on Windows 10/11 (French guide) instead.
Problem
- Blue screen with the stop code BAD_POOL_HEADER, followed by a restart.
- Crash at startup, when waking from sleep, or while using a specific device, game or program.
- The problem sometimes started after adding hardware or installing a driver, an antivirus, a VPN or an update.
Before you start
- Note when the blue screen appears (startup, sleep, gaming, plugging in a device) and since when.
- Note recent changes: new hardware, new driver, new security software or VPN, Windows update.
- Steps 3 and 4 require an administrator account.
| Observation | Lead to follow |
|---|---|
| The problem started after a specific change | Steps 1 and 2 |
| Blue screen linked to a device (Wi-Fi, USB, sound card) | Step 3 |
| Third-party antivirus, VPN or monitoring software installed | Step 4 |
| Irregular crashes, not linked to a specific action | Step 5 |
| Windows no longer starts at all | Special cases |
Step 1: check the context in Reliability Monitor
When to use it: always first, to link the blue screen to a specific event.
Suggested solution
- Press Win + R, type perfmon /rel and confirm.
- Click the days marked with a red cross and look for Windows was not properly shut down or Hardware error entries.
- On the same timeline, look at the installations (drivers, software, updates) made just before the first crash.
- Note the date of the first blue screen and what was installed that day or the day before.
Expected result: you know whether the blue screen started after a specific installation, or appeared with no identifiable change.
Step 2: undo the latest change
When to use it: if step 1 shows an installation or a hardware addition just before the first crash. Microsoft advises starting by removing recently added hardware and reverting recent software or drivers.
Suggested solution
- Recent hardware: shut down the PC, unplug the device or remove the added component, then use the PC normally.
- Recent driver: open Device Manager (right-click Start), double-click the device concerned, Driver tab, then Roll Back Driver if the button is available.
- Recent software: uninstall it from Settings > Apps > Installed apps, then restart.
Expected result: no more blue screens during a period of use in which it used to come back. If so, look for a fixed version of the driver or software before reinstalling it.
Step 3: update the driver of the device concerned
When to use it: if the blue screen appears with a specific device (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, USB, audio, storage) or if an old driver is in place.
Suggested solution
- Open Settings > Windows Update > Advanced options > Optional updates and install the driver updates offered for the hardware concerned.
- Otherwise, download the driver from the website of the PC manufacturer (laptop, branded PC) or the component manufacturer, choosing your exact model.
- You can also use Device Manager: Update drivers through Device Manager.
- Restart the PC.
Expected result: the driver shows a newer version in the Driver tab, and the blue screen no longer comes back with that device.
💡 PC CONFORT RECOMMENDATION
To spot your PC's outdated drivers before updating them, you can use the PC Confort tool Driver Detect.
Free download.
Step 4: test without the software that installs its own drivers
When to use it: if a third-party antivirus, a VPN, a third-party firewall, a hardware monitoring tool or RGB lighting control software is installed. These programs add drivers that run at the core of the system.
Suggested solution
- Open Settings > Apps > Installed apps.
- Uninstall only one of these programs at a time with its official uninstaller (some publishers provide a dedicated removal tool on their website).
- Restart, then use the PC in the conditions where the blue screen used to appear.
- If you removed a third-party antivirus, check that Windows Security > Virus & threat protection is active during the test.
Expected result: if the blue screen disappears, the removed program is the main lead. Reinstall it only in its latest version and report the problem to its publisher.
Step 5: test the RAM
When to use it: if the crashes are irregular and not linked to a specific action. Microsoft states that, in this case, BAD_POOL_HEADER may be related to defective physical memory.
Suggested solution
- Save your work and close your apps.
- In Windows search, type Windows Memory Diagnostic and open the tool.
- Choose Restart now and check for problems.
- After the restart, open Event Viewer (Win + R, eventvwr.msc), then Windows Logs > System, and look for the MemoryDiagnostics-Results event.
- If errors are reported and the PC has several memory sticks, test them one at a time (PC shut down and unplugged).
Expected result: you know whether the memory is at fault. The detailed stick-by-stick test is described in the MEMORY_MANAGEMENT guide mentioned above.
Warning: if you enabled a memory profile (XMP or EXPO) or overclocking in the BIOS, restore the default settings for the duration of the diagnosis. Memory pushed beyond its original settings can produce random errors.
Special cases
- Windows no longer starts: start in Safe Mode from the recovery environment (Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings), then apply steps 2 and 4. You can also use Uninstall Updates in the advanced options if the problem appeared just after an update.
- Blue screens with several different codes: follow Microsoft's guide Troubleshoot unexpected restarts and stop code errors.
- Driver Verifier and debugger: Microsoft's page for code 0x19 mentions them to identify the faulty driver. These are tools intended for developers: misused, Driver Verifier can prevent Windows from starting. They are not detailed here.
Final check
- ☐ The latest change (hardware, driver or software) has been undone or fixed.
- ☐ The drivers of the device concerned are up to date.
- ☐ Windows Memory Diagnostic reports no errors.
- ☐ No new BAD_POOL_HEADER blue screen after several days of normal use.
Sources
- Microsoft Learn: Bug Check 0x19: BAD_POOL_HEADER
- Microsoft Support: Troubleshoot unexpected restarts and stop code errors
- Microsoft Support: Update drivers through Device Manager
Is the blue screen back?
Reply to this topic with:
- Your Windows version (10 or 11 and version number).
- When the blue screen appears and the date of the first crash.
- The installations found in Reliability Monitor just before.
- Your antivirus, VPN or monitoring software installed.
- The result of Windows Memory Diagnostic.